


It All Started in 1940

by renegadejaybird (vitious)



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-01-16
Updated: 2012-03-09
Packaged: 2017-10-29 15:27:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/321374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vitious/pseuds/renegadejaybird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If there's anything that Tony loves it's to build things.  However he begins to wonder if his latest project is really about restoring an old Packard or if he has another motive that he doesn't want to analyze too closely.  **Indefinite Hiatus**</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Old and Careworn

There were many things in the world that Tony Stark enjoyed.  Often they would include women, liquor, and adrenaline inducing activities, but what he loved above most others was working on a project.  It had been a few months since he had been given a long enough respite from the Avengers to actually sit down and work on something not related to saving the world.   For weeks he had been agitated, borderline antsy; at least until he decided to take a trip to a scrap yard in search of a project.  It was there that he found something that clicked with him immediately, sending excited anticipation rolling through him, though he wouldn’t let the seller see it.

  
It was a 1940 Packard, the paint completely ruined, rust eating away at the metal and the windows all knocked out or barely there.  Upon taking a look underneath the hood the hoses were completely shot and rust had claimed a lot of the old, original parts, leaving them looking  like termites had evolved to consume metal finally.  Not event the rims or tires had escaped the wear and tear of time, the rubber barely clinging to the metal, circular frames like skin on a cadaver’s bones.  All things considered it pretty much was like a corpse, but the sight of it made him borderline giddy; finally something new to work on that wasn’t superhero business.

Without a second thought he’d purchased it along with a few stray parts that might be helpful later on during its construction; not even a drop in the bucket for someone with billions at their disposals. It only took a few quick arrangements to have it transported to his workshop in as much secrecy as possible; the rest of the Avengers didn’t need to know about the junker that had followed him home.  In fact he planned to keep his little project a secret for as long as he possibly could, especially due to the year… 1940.

It wasn’t really coincidence that he’d picked that particular year.  Despite the length of time that Captain Steve Rogers had been awake and working with them, there always seemed to be a strange sense of sadness to the man.  Tony was willing to bet that it was nostalgia, that he missed what he’d come from despite saying that he was fine.  That was just like Cap too, always wanting to shoulder his burdens by himself, never wanting to drag the rest of the team down.  Well there was no way that he was just going to let Mr. Rogers be depressed and nostalgic alone.  Why?  Because he was Tony fucking Stark and he was always in other people’s business anyways.

Thus he found himself, clad in a pair of old, tattered jeans and a ragged AC/DC shirt, most of his torso burried in the engine compartment of the old Packard.  His legs kicked and strained as he struggled to reach a lugnut towards the bottom of the compartment, one that could have been reached from underneath but, dammit, he was already up here.   He’d just gotten a socket wrench over the blasted thing when Jarvis’ voice echoed through the workshop, drowning out the classic rock blaring from the speakers.

“Sir.  Captain Rogers is coming down the stairs.” Tony sat up so quickly that he banged his head on the underside of the hood, yelping out a string of curses.  “I suggest you conceal your project.”

“Thank you, once again, for stating the obvious, Jarvis.” Tony muttered, quickly grabbing a nearby tarp and moving to drape it over the vehicle. “Stall him, would you?”

“Of course, Sir.”

Once the Packard was concealed he hastily moved to one of his work benches and pretended to work on something.  He picked up something to work on, a schematic he hadn’t touched in a few days and whispered for Jarvis to let Steve in.  It was no less than thirty seconds later that Steve walked into the lab, bearing two steaming mugs and approaching him, looking a little exasperated but otherwise cheerful.   Despite that he didn’t look up, even as the Captain America set a cup of black coffee on an open space on his desk, arching a brow.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” Steve questioned, dragging over a stool and arching a brow at him. 

“I dunno.  What time is it?” Tony frowned, not looking up even as he reached out to take the cup of coffee and  take a sip.

“Four in the morning.”

“Ah, right… I guess I should, maybe…  After I finish this…”

“That’s what you always say.” Tony had a sneaking suspicion that that was laughter he heard in the other man’s tone. 

“Well you know how I get when I get a project in my head.  I can’t sleep until—” He began.

“—until you’ve seen it through to the end.” Steve finished, flashing the annoyed looking Tony a smile that was almost smug.

“Exactly so.  I dunno.  You obviously expected this.  Coffee.” He muttered, taking a pointed sip of the dark, bitter liquid.

“You just sometimes forget that your body needs rest to survive, is all.”

“I can—”

“—Take care of yourself yes, yes—”

Tony pointed finger at the other man, looking mildly put-off. “Stop that.  I am not that predictable—”

Steve rolled his eyes in response. “Tony we’ve been working and living together for all this time and you don’t think—”

“Pepper doesn’t finish my sentences.”

“That’s because you’d pout if she did.”

“Woah woah woah! I.  Do not.  Pout.”

“Locking yourself up in your workshop and blaring loud music after an argument is called pouting in the Tony Stark Dictionary last I checked.” Steve answered, looking entirely too amused.

“No, it’s called productivity.” Tony muttered, taking another sip of his coffee before setting it down and going back to work. “Erm…  Thanks for the… Coffee.  How did you know I was still awake?”

“I asked Jarvis.”

“That traitorous bastard.”

“You should really try sleeping more. “

Tony shot a mildly guilty look at his fellow Avenger, his shoulders slumping  a little as he absently drummed his pencil on his desk.  He supposed that the other man was right about his poor sleeping habits, but… He’d gotten a little excited about his junkyard find and had wanted to get to work immediately.   Though, in retrospect, he wasn’t certain that worrying Steve was really worth what he was attempting despite the fact that part of his brain, the overactive part, told him that he’d been fine without sleep before and he could easily do it again.

“…I’ll try, Cap.” he muttered finally, lifting a hand to rub the base of his neck. “Though bringing me coffee doesn’t really encourage me to sleep.”

“Well I didn’t say it had to be tonight.” Steve answered, winking and clapping him on the shoulder before he headed for the door. “I’ll leave you to it.  See you tomorrow.”

“Night!” he called as he slowly leaned over, watching the Avenger leave before he bolted out of his seat and, taking his coffee with him, removed the tarp from the car. “…Time to get back to work.  Jarvis you need to stop telling Captain America where I am when I’m working on a secret project for him.”

“My apologies, Sir.”

 


	2. A Little Worse For Wear

He began by stripping everything out of the body.  It was no easy task and he found all manner of unmentionable things in the seams and crevices within the old, worn metal but finally he stood with the empty frame… And a few spider bites; hopefully none of those were radioactive or anything.   Tony walked a slow circle around the machine, analyzing where metal needed to be patched and where things needed replicating and replacing.  As he moved he gave orders to Jarvis before moving to get his welding mask, coveralls, and gloves.

It took a few days to get everything that he needed to repair the damage to the frame.  Bolts had to be specially made, thickness and density had to be replicated by using samples from the existing metal.  All of it had to be specially manufactured and ordered and, when it arrived, Steve gave him a dubious look.  In fact as soon as he started wheeling the crates of parts towards his workshop Captain America spoke up.

“What, making a new suit?” Steve called, looking more amused than exasperated.

Tony paused, tilting his head before he turned it to grin over his shoulder at his fellow Avenger. “…It’s a surprise.”   

And what a surprise it would be.

—————————————————-

When it came to the engine, well, it had definitely seen better days.   All the rubber had become brittle, crumbling in his hands, except for one piece that he had Jarvis take a look at and use as a sample.  They could make something that was stronger and yet very similar that way.  Each part was carefully extracted from the engine and scanned through his system.  Each would have to be custom made of similar if not identical metal and have the same sort of finish or else, well, there was no point in restoring it.  At least there wasn’t in his mind; everything had to be perfect.

He stared down at the remnants of the engine, tilting his head a little and squinting; there were definitely some things missing, a few parts that he would have to improvize, though he supposed he could improve it a little.  Tilting his head a little he moved his fingers over the diagram before him, beginning to silently design and render images in the air.  It wouldn’t be too difficult to create a power source that would make the car not have to use fuel, even, and run eternally on another power source.

It’s when he’s in the midst of plotting out designs for the new power source for the vehicle that Steve visits him again.  This time it’s with a sandwich and a bottle of water set gently next to him on the table as blue eyes stare up at the equally blue lines in the air before him.  Out of the corner of his eye he watches the other man, noting how awed he still can be when it comes to such things and smiles a little.  Finally the Avenger speaks up, his gaze swinging to Tony, those blue eyes seeming to shimmer with the light from the diagram.

“What are you making now?” he asks, looking amused; Tony actually slept last night so Steve can’t really get on him about that.

“Ah… It’s a power source.  For a vehicle.” Tony answers, giving the other man his best poker face.  “Just a little project.”

“Always a different project.” Captain America muses, eyes sliding back to the diagram. “You worked right through lunch.”

“Shit.  Really?”

“Mmhm.  Hopefully my sandwich making skills are still as good as they used to be.”

Blinking Tony looked down at the sandwich, picking up half of it and noting how thick and well made it was.  Honestly he’d thought it was store bought at first when Steve had given it to him, but the fact that the other man had taken the time to make it for him caused a pleasant sensation in his chest.  Smiling he took a bite and chewed thoughtfully, noting Steve’s hopeful expression as he swallowed.

“It’s terrible.” he announced, watching Steve’s expression crumple a little before he laughed and shook his head. “I’m joking!  It’s wonderful.  Man, this is seriously the best thing I’ve eaten in a while.”

Tony took the light smack to his shoulder with a soft ‘ow’, noting the amusement on his friend’s features. “Really?  Don’t you eat gourmet food all the time?”

“I do… But none of that really holds a candle to this.” He murmured, looking back at Steve and smiling warmly at him.

As the other man smiled in return, that bright, honest smile he had when really happy, he had to admit that no, nothing else really measured up to this.

———————————————————-

Tony was used to rebuilding engines.  In fact they were one of the first things he had ever created and their construction, to him, was simple.   Thus he sat on the floor with the brand new parts he had received special made scattered around him, contemplating where to begin.  He froze when he heard the door to his lab woosh open, his eyes slowly lifting to stare at none-other than Steve who was giving him an equally startled look and holding another of his delicious sandwiches and a steaming cup.

“…You look like you just walked in on me sleeping with your sister.” Tony joked, attempting to cover up the fact that the other man had stumbled upon something he hadn’t wanted him to see… At least not yet.

“Is that… A car engine?”  Steve questioned, completely ignoring the other man’s comment in favor of crouching near the parts, setting the items in his hand within grabbing distance of Tony.

“Yes.” Perhaps being honest would make the blond ask less questions.

“It looks…  Familiar.”

“Well I should hope that the engine of a car would look familiar—”

“No, I mean, not like the new ones they use… Older.”

“Oh, well, yeah, just an alternate engine for a hotrod I have.  I’m testing that modified reactor and well older things tend to be a bit sturidier and—”

“Can I watch?”

“—Just generally more receptive—What?”

Tony blinked owlishly at the other man, noting that he looked a little sheepish at his disbelief but he couldn’t really help himself.  Sure, Captain America was known for loving his motorcycle but, really, he hadn’t really taken him for someone that was interested in the construction of the things.  A strange warmth spread through his chest, causing him to swallow thickly before glancing back down at the parts; he hadn’t said anything for a few heartbeats and, well, he was sure that was incredibly weird in and of itself.  Never mind that he had been surprised that a male from the 1940s liked very male things which was just plain stupid.

“Yeah, yeah, of course you can watch.  What am I gonna do?  Banish you from my workshop?  I think we’ve known each other long enough to know you’d just find some other way in—” Tony babbled, reaching for his tools, averting his eyes, doing everything in his power not to look at the man across from him.

“Thanks, Tony.” Steve interrupted, grinning at him when their gazes locked again.

He didn’t even bother to finish his tangent, instead opting to smile and reach for the sandwich that the blond had brought him. “No, thank you.  If it weren’t for you I’d waste away down here.”

  
“Why do you think I brought it?”

  
“Real funny, Boyscout.”

 

———————————————————-

When he next saw Steve it was after two days of sleepless nights and constant work, only emerging to eat sometimes.  In fact the blond had been on his way down the stairs to Tony’s workshop when the other man stumbled into him, his bleery, bloodshot eyes blinking up at him owlishly.  In fact it took him a moment to realize that he was touching the other man, one hand in the middle of his chest, the other gripping a thick bicep.   Swallowing thickly he let go and went to take a step back, nearly falling backwards down the stairs in the process, only saved from braining himself by strong hands gripping his upper arms; he really needed to sleep.

“Tony.  Tony!” Steve gave him a little shake that made Tony’s head snap up his eyes wide and blinking as he struggled to focus.  “Jesus.  When was the last time you slept.”

  
“No idea, but I was just headed there so if you could—” the billionaire began, not making any moves to pull away despite his words.

  
“Tony, this isn’t funny.  You’ll kill yourself like this.  Seriously whatever you’re working on can wait can’t—”

  
“Absolutely not.  I mean… Maybe. But it’s pretty important to me, project-wise but I promise that I’m seriously just about—”

  
“Tony.”

  
Startled by the seriousness in the other man’s voice he stared into the brilliant blue of Steve’s eyes, noting that there was a little more white there than normal.  There was also a lot of worry, a tinge of fear, and a hint of protectiveness that he was momentarily taken aback by.  He stared for a long moment, feeling humbled by everything he saw there, struck wordless in his weary state when, otherwise he wouldn’t have missed a beat.  Perhaps he was seeing things but, if not, how long had he been missing them.

  
“…Sorry, Cap.” he finally managed, forcing a smile when the look was chased away by rising confusion.  “Why don’t you give me a hand so I can pass out, huh?  No more skipping sleep… Promise.”

  
Steve smiled blindingly and slid an arm around his shoulders to help him up the stairs. “I’m sure your project will be amazing, as per usual, if it waits for you to rest up.”

  
“Yeah…  I hope so…” Tony murmured, smiling to himself.


	3. In Need of a Little Love

Over a week had passed and the old Machine had been shipped off to have the seat frames  he had assembled upholstered.  Making nice, comfortable interiors wasn’t exactly his forte, after all and, if it was, he’d own a furniture company.  He hopes to have the vehicle back within a week but that’s still a week without his project, a week without anything big to do, really.   It was also a week in which he didn’t have a distraction from one Captain Steve Rogers.

At first he had just thought to do something nice for Cap, give him something that was a hybrid of the 40s and modern day, but, over time, he was starting to fully realize what it really was and wasn’t quite sure how he felt about it.  It wasn’t that he was really floored by the fact that he was attracted to a man, hell, look at what happened that one night with Rhodey, but it was more that he was now attracted to a heterosexual man.  Never mind a heterosexual man who was Captain fucking America and as noble and charming as a ‘Sexy Ex-Boyscout Weekly’ cover boy; why wasn’t that an actual magazine, again?

  
Heaving a sigh he slumped a little, sipping his lukewarm coffee as he browsed through his email, sprawled across the couch in the main room of the mansion.  It was four in the morning, an hour which was in between night and morning and was both and neither at the same time.  It was too early for him to be awake on a day in which he had nowhere to be but he’d woken up as naturally as if he had gotten a full eight hours instead of two.  As he read each email and responded, it was slowly becoming apparent that after this there would be nothing for him to focus on today either.  Briefly he wondered if somehow Pepper was psychic and was thus inflicting him with a completely free day on purpose; Honestly it would explain a few things.

  
“Tony.”

  
He couldn’t help himself he jumped, barely avoiding spilling his coffee, his head whipping around to stare at who had called his name before relaxing. “…Jesus, Steve, don’t do that.”

  
Steve just smiled and took a step closer, folding his arms to rest them on the back of the couch as he peered down at his friend. “What are you doing awake?  You went to bed like… three hours ago.”

  
“And I only slept for two.  Must be the insomnia.”

  
“Yeah?  Me too.”

  
“And here I thought that Super Soldier juice made it so you didn’t need sleep.”

  
“Maybe it does and I’m just humoring you.”

  
Tony squinted up at the blond, giving him a suspicious look which simply caused the other man’s brows to lift in ‘innocent’ inquiry.   Usually he thought he knew Cap fairly well but, lately, he was starting to realize that there was more to him that he hadn’t really noticed.  Perhaps he was only noticing now because he hadn’t been looking, because he would normally laugh at the joke, not analyze the fact that he really didn’t know if Steve slept or not. 

  
“I can’t tell if you’re lying.  Is that bad?” he finally asked, still giving the other man the same look.

  
Steve blinked before letting out a startled laugh, reaching down to tousle Tony’s hair, the billionaire protesting rather vocally.  “I’m lying.”

  
“Jesus, watch the hair.  Also, I thought you were an honest, all-American, moral guy.  I can’t believe you could deceive me like this.  I’m _hurt_ —”

  
“Sorry to burst your bubble.” Steve countered, smiling down at him.  “I’ll get some coffee and join you.”

  
Tony gave him a disgruntled look which seemed to only amuse the other man further, frowning as he turned and walked off towards the kitchen.  His eyes followed the muscled back as he disappeared to get coffee, his throat working as he swallowed, attempting to identify why, exactly, Steve leaving had met with so much inner resentment.  It wasn’t like Tony to dislike being alone, really, especially not in the early hours of the morning in which he was grumpy and just generally unpleasant.  Perhaps that was why Steve, ever sardonic, ever charming Steve, enduring him for even a bit, even exchanging playful banter with him left him feeling a little agitated when he left;  he didn’t want silence, didn’t want to listen to his inner monologue more than necessary that morning when there was Cap to talk to.  

  
Suddenly there was a mug hanging in front of his face, causing him to blink and tilt his head to peer at the blond currently hovering over him; how was it that someone that big was always sneaking up on him?  After a moment he arched a brow and reached up to take the mug, glancing from his other mug to the new one.  Steve chuckled, reaching for the now cold mug in his other hand, shaking his head. 

  
“Trade me and stop hogging the couch.” Steve took the mug and set it aside on one of the nearby coffee tables, circling the couch, apparently intent on occupying part of it.

  
“ _Excuse me_.  This is _my_ couch—” He began despite the fact that he was already shifting and sitting up, making room for the other man.

  
Steve sunk down into the cushions next to him, shrugging his broad shoulders. “You moved anyways.”

  
“Only because you asked so politely.”

  
Chuckling the blond shifted a little closer, taking a sip of his coffee as he peered at Tony’s tablet, looking curious.  Tony arched a brow at him but, after a moment’s hesitation, tilted the device a little so the other man could see.  It was a schematic for a new device he was going to be putting up for approval for mass production, something which shouldn’t have interested the other man as much as it seemed to.  At least, he hadn’t thought that it should, but he seemed to be wrong about what the other man more and more lately. 

  
“Didn’t know you were interested in robotics.” Tony mumbled after a moment, not looking up from the translucent screen as he nursed his coffee.

  
“I wasn’t initially.” Steve admitted, his eyes roaming over the lines.  “But the way you talk makes it interesting.”

  
Laughing, Tony waved it off with his now half-empty mug, pointedly ignoring the heat rising in his cheeks.  “That’s because I make everything interesting.”

  
“Yeah, things are pretty interesting when you’re around.”

  
His fingers froze where they were moving over the tablet, his eyes darting to the side to look at the man next to him.  Steve’s brilliant blue eyes were watching him intently, causing the Billionaire to swallow thickly, nervously, something he wasn’t used to.  Then again he wasn’t really used to the whole ‘being attracted to men’ thing either, which would explain why he really wasn’t handling this well.  Never mind that there’d been an awkward pause before he’d forced a laugh, hoping it didn’t sound as tremulous as he felt in that moment.

  
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.” he managed, looking back to the screen. 

  
“So, what is this.  It’s some form of monitoring device, right?” Steve questioned, changing the subject suddenly.

  
Relieved, Tony immediately moved on to explaining the functionalities of the device; for the moment his heart wasn’t attempting to escape his chest, not that he could blame it.  Steve really was a fast learning, nodding in comprehension as he spoke and gently probing for more information when necessary.  He’d changed since they had first met, becoming less skittish of modern technology gradually, beginning to absorb everything given to him.  Sometimes he wondered if Cap was just humoring his ramblings about his inventions but, for once, he didn’t mind.  So long as he could focus on not doing something stupid for a week everything would be fine, life would move on, and everything would be stable, comfortable, unhindered by his idiotic crush.


	4. Just Needs a Bit of Elbow Grease

As the week drug on things didn't seem to get any easier.  In fact things seemed to be getting more difficult and he found himself and Cap alone together more often than not.  He would have been suspicious if he weren't trying so damn hard to keep his hands off the Super Soldier; it was harder than it sounded.  Besides all he'd been doing lately was coming up with random inventions that, while impressive, didn't seem to satisfy the agitation in him.  No, only that old Packard coming back and him finishing everything would be able to satisfy him at all; he hated unfinished projects.  
  
Tony was fairly certain that said agitation was beginning to show because Cap had approached him in an almost hesitant manner and offered him a plate full of the breakfast he had prepared for the Avengers.  He'd tilted his head to peer up at Steve with slightly wide eyes; yeah, it smelled amazing, but he couldn't believe that he'd missed breakfast again.  A small, understanding smile curved the blond's lips and Tony felt him setting his datapad aside and taking the plate with a small answering smile of his own.  It didn't occur to him that the other man seemed to go out of his way to take care of him, make sure he ate, make sure he didn't fall asleep at his desk.  
  
Well, he hadn't noticed until that thought ran through his head.  
  
"You know, Cap." he spoke up after taking a bite of the incredibly delicious omelette Steve had provided him with. "You don't have to babysit me.  I know you have to have other things to worry about."  
  
"Maybe." Steve answered before his brows furrowed a little. "But I'm going to do it anyways."  
  
Tony felt a squeeze on his shoulder and craned his neck to watch the other man walk away, feeling as if he had missed something in that exchange.  Mentally he shook himself and continued to devour the omlette on his plate, attempting to push aside the uneasiness that had risen in his gut.  He was just projecting, perhaps, or maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part, something that he was doing that was making everything seem so... Different.  Cap was like the unshakable support to the Avengers, unwavering, strong and steadfast.  There was no way that something as simple as Tony's terrible eating habits could possibly get to him... At least he hoped not.  If so then the implications were...    
  
Nope.  Bad train of thought to follow, one which Tony promptly derailed in favor of finishing off his food and setting the plate on the coffee table nearby.  His eyes then moved back to his datapad, the movements of his fingers hesitant as he tried to focus on what had been so important before Steve's arrival.  After a few more minutes of struggling to focus he let out an aggravated sigh and climbed to his feet, raking a hand through his hair.  Tony tossed his datapad carelessly on the table and grabbed his plate, heading for the kitchen and muttering about how his lesser brain functions were getting in the way of higher brain functions.   
  
However when he rounded the corner he stilled, large, brown eyes blinking at one Steve Rogers who was staring at him with one brow lifted, in the middle of cleaning up after breakfast.  A few moments passed before Tony finally let out a small huff of laughter, lifting a hand to run it through his hair as he stepped into the kitchen, depositing his plate in the dishwasher and attempting to avoid eye contact with the other man.  After a moment he chanced a glance up, noticing that Steve had gone back to what he was doing and, oddly, a bit of guilt rose in him at the sight of Captain America cleaning up after the Avengers.  He was always there, no matter what needed doing, no matter if he had maids to do that for him.   
  
"Um..." Tony finally spoke up, shifting to stand beside the other man, gently nudging him with his shoulder. "...Want some company?  Not that dishes aren't great company and that you shouldn't have time alone with them, they're good listeners and all--"  
  
"Comapny would be nice." Steve quickly interrupted, smiling down at the man beside him.  "Four hands are better than two."   
  
Tony thought he deserved props for not blushing as his mind wandered to realms he really didn't want it to go. "Well... You might not be saying that after today.  I'll prolly break half the dishes and then Pepper will have to get more--"   
  
"I'm sure you can handle dishes, Tony."   
  
"You say that now..."   
  
He trailed off, taking a dry towel and beginning to dry off whatever the super soldier passed to him, filling the companionable silence with his plans to invent a robot to wash the dishes for them.  Steve stood and listened to him the entire time, making small inquiries here and there, perfect smile ever present on his face.  For the first time that week, Tony thought that maybe the absense of his project wasn't all that bad at all.  In fact, maybe he should have been focusing on  the reason it was being restored more than the actual retoration, but he'd always been better at hiding from things like this than addressing them.   
  
"I think that plate's dry, Tony."   
  
Tony blinked out of his internal musings, staring down at the plate in his hands, then slowly looking up at the man beside him and laughing. "Sorry, I got to thinking about a project I'm working on..."  
  
Steve took the plate from him and put it away, the action causing him to move into Tony's space and causing the billionaire to suddenly go silent as he watched him.  However his eyes quickly darted away when Steve finished putting the plate away, quickly trying to find something other than the blond next to him to focus on.  However that failed and be moved to absently dry his hands while looking back to Steve who was eyeing him with a mixture of suspicion and worry; Cap was far too quick when it came to reading other people these days.  
  
"Are you okay, Tony?" Steve finally questioned, concern winning over suspicion, as per usual; such a boyscout.  
  
"I... Yes, absolutely, just a lot of things running through my head, nervous energy, need to keep my hands busy and all that--" Tony rambled, now wishing he'd just gone back down to his lab instead of dropping off the damn plate in the kitchen.   
  
"Well maybe we could do something outside of work to keep you occupied?"  
  
"--And really there's so much around here to do--What?"   
  
Steve laughed, shaking his head, blue eyes shining with mirth and his smile wide, honest, happy.  For the first time in... Well he couldn't remember how long, he found himself simply smiling instead of launching into a witty remark.  Seeing the other man happy, laughing, after all the worry he seemed to have held onto for the past few days, possibly weeks was... Nice.  Very nice in fact.  Then it hit him that maybe this wasn't just a little high school crush, maybe he'd known that all along but he really just hadn't wanted to see it.   
  
"...How about a baseball game?  Wait no, no baseball today.   Maybe a movie?  No, too cliche.  There's plays but man I can't sit though one of those.  Or how about--" Tony prattled on, oblivious to the way that Steve was staring at him, blue eyes widening a little in realization before hooding a little when the smaller man looked back at him.   
  
"Tony, Tony.  Slow down.  Why don't we just stay here and watch something, huh?" Steve interjected yet again, smiling fondly.   
  
"Oh, well, I didn't  really want to get dressed anyways." Tony countered, grinning.   
  
Steve let a small smile curve his lips at that, his hand moving to grip Tony's shoulder and lead him out of the kitchen. "I figured."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh. Sorry this took so long. Hopefully it isn't terrible.


End file.
